Many people think being spiritual is all about happiness, rainbows and butterflies. These days, spirituality can actually be perceived as a luxury, and not many are practising it or are open to it. The reason behind it, is because most of us haven’t been brought up to understand it. Some might believe, that only people who have lots of spare time can afford practising some kind of spiritual principles. Well, I think all of us can find just a few minutes a day to do so. Listed bellow are some of my favourite spiritual tools you can easily apply to your life. Choose the ones that resonate with you. I believe they can definitely bring more light into your life.
#1 Conscious breathing
We breathe all day long and we don’t even think about it. But when we really begin focusing on our breathing, it can help us bring more clarity and calmness into our lives. I always say: ‘When I’m in doubt, I take a deep breath.’ It always centres me back in the present moment and works in a miraculous way. I believe, it’s very important to pause several times a day and really notice our breathing. Take a few, deep, cleansing breaths whenever you think about taking a break, feeling stressed or anxious. Your breath is your connection to life. Taking deep, conscious breaths in and out can be a great spiritual practice to add to your daily life.
#2 Observing
Become an observer of what is going on within you and around you. Notice your thoughts, observe your feelings, actions and reactions. Are you feeling good or do you feel discomfort in any area of your body? We often push our feelings away and this can create tension that we carry around from one day to another. It is not only unhealthy, but it also makes us feel edgy, frustrated and tired. Become an observer of your feelings and really learn to acknowledge them, instead of dismissing them or pushing them away.
#3 Meditation
Meditation is one of the easiest ways how to start connecting with the truth of who you really are. If you are new to meditation, I always recommend trying guided meditations. There are so many fantastic meditation albums to choose from these day and you can find them on YouTube, iTunes or anywhere online. I dedicated an entire page on my website to meditation. You can also access some of my free guided meditations there. Make yourself comfortable and let my voice be your guide: https://www.mysticbutterfly.co.uk/meditation/
#4 Yoga
Yoga is a beautiful spiritual practice. I love practising Hatha and Vinyasa Yoga. If you are interested in taking a yoga class, you can check out some of your local yoga studios. Every town has at least couple these days. You can also find out information about yoga online. I have been introduced to yoga by a beautiful teacher Tara Stiles. I began my practice by watching her videos on YouTube every single day. Just watching them made me feel better already. I practised yoga in my living room for a while, and when I was more confident with the postures, I took my first class. It transformed my life. Yoga is a fantastic spiritual practice, which became a healthy addiction of mine. Try it.
#5 Writing
I consider writing a spiritual practice too. Writing your feelings down can be very liberating and healing. Get your diary and write down how you feel. Let your feelings and suppressed emotions out onto the page. Every time I write my thoughts and feelings down, I always feel lighter and I have so much brighter perspective on life.
#6 Reading
I’m in love with reading. Spiritual texts, poetry and inspirational books are some of my favourites. Here is a tip for you: Read couple of pages of something inspiring every morning. This will put you on a positive frequency and will set your day right. I am currently preparing an article, where I will share with you some of my favourite inspiring and spiritual books I believe can inspire you.
#7 Spiritual gatherings
Connecting with like-minded people is a great way of practising spirituality. People on the same frequency always inspire each and support each other. There are so many places where you can connect with like-minded people such as going to lectures, workshops, classes and spiritual retreats. Check them out in your local area. Like yoga classes, there are being held almost everywhere these days.
#8 Nature Connection
Those of you who follow me on social media and read my weekly blog know, how strongly I feel about connecting with nature. Nature is one of the best healers. Nature inspires us, makes us feel good and also connects us to the truth of who we really are. Regular connections with the natural world can be life-transforming.
#9 Music
Listening to uplifting or soothing music can also become your spiritual practice. Create a playlist of your favourite tunes and get motivated and inspired. When I listen to the music, I always get the most amazing ideas.
#10 Visualising
While you are listening to your music playlist, you can also add some visualisation to it. Visualising is an incredible tool, that can help you make your dreams come true. I manifested many fantastic things into my life just by the power of visualisation. How do you visualise? Feel the feelings of how you want to feel when your desire is manifested. Feel those feelings now. Then, release them to the care of the higher power of the Universe. Trust and know that they will come to you, when the time is right, and in a form that is best for your highest good and everyone involved.
#11 Reciting positive affirmations
Reciting positive statements over and over again can be a wonderful spiritual practice to add to your life. Your affirmations need to be positive, personal and in present tense. For example: ‘I am healthy and I am happy.’ If you would like to find out more about positive affirmations, you can check out my article right here: https://www.mysticbutterfly.co.uk/power-positive-affirmations/
#12 Prayer
Some people think you have to be a religious person to pray. Not at all. We can all pray. I pray daily and it transformed my life in many wonderful ways. Create a specific prayer that works for you, and say it every morning and every evening (or whenever you think about it). Your prayer can simply be saying Thank you to the Universe, the God, the angels or any higher power of your own understanding. Thank it for another day, for your health and all the good things in your life.
#13 Gratitude
And now, we’ve got to an incredible practice of gratitude. When you are grateful for what you already have in your life, you create more things to be grateful for. Get into a habit of expressing gratitude for the things you often take for granted. Be grateful for your beautiful life, your health, your family, your senses, your job….anything you can think of. Expressing gratitude on a daily basis always goes a long way.
#14 Living in your truth
Last, but definitely not least is my favourite spiritual (and also non-spiritual) principle: Living in your truth. I used to live in so much denial and scarcity. I was afraid to express who I really was, because I thought I wasn’t good enough. Luckily, those days are gone. Now, I’m proud of who I really am and of my truth. You are a beautiful soul, which came to this world to have a human experience. Your life is a gift. Stay true to yourself and the beauty of your being. Listen to your inner guidance (the voice of your soul) that speaks to you all day long, and become more and more true to who you really are.